Sonic: Living in a Dream
by Scarecrow Cenobite
Summary: Sonic and Tails meet a mysterious young girl and soon find themselves being hunted down by Shadow, Eggman and an unknown attacker. The ancient past was a time of turmoil, and once again Sonic must face the legacy of mistakes made long ago...
1. Prologue

Prologue: Land of Confusion

Prologue: _Land of Confusion._

Adrastos looked up at the night sky and let his mind wander, thinking back to simpler times when the world had seemed much more peaceful and care free. He felt the cold, hard stone of the mountain beneath his back and the icy winds whipping through his loose gown and he felt satisfied. It was an unusual feeling for him, as one of the greatest warriors of his tribe he was under constant pressure to prove himself, to do better and to bend off the advances of those who sought to prove themselves better than he. They never did.

A week back he had been climbing when an earthquake struck. Nothing could have been done about it, nothing could have prevented his fall. He was lucky, he survived with only a broken arm and bruised ribs. It had nearly healed but the tribes leaders weren't about to risk their prize warrior and so he was under instructions to rest.

Suited him fine, he'd never set out to be a warrior. He only wanted to do what was best for his people, for the entire Echidna race. If that meant making use of the strength and skills bestowed upon him by their Gods then that is what he would do.

Slowly, Adrastos sat up and looked downwards. He was sat on a rocky outcrop half-way up the northern mountain range that surrounded their capital city. Below he could see the temple where Chief Pachacamac would rally the troops before a battle, his words whipping them up into a frenzy. In the distance he could see the hillside over which a race known as the Chao were said to guard Emeralds of great power, Emeralds that Pachacamac had insisted were vital to the survival of the tribe.

It was all politics and Adrastos tried to avoid such matters. They weren't for him, all he wished to do was serve his people and be left alone. That's why he went climbing, he was seen as one of the best climbers of the entire tribe, scaling mountains in a matter of seconds. He'd often come to this exact spot to lie back, relax, and forgot all the conflict and pain that seemed to fill the world.

Something caught his eye, in the distance. A glow of red, steadily increasing. It was coming from the direction of the shrine. Had the tribe chosen tonight to cease the Emeralds?

He wouldn't have been surprised. Pachacamac had said it would be a short battle, the creatures that lived there were weak and not build for battle. Perhaps he had chosen now to claim them, Adrastos could not say, he had been away from the others for the entire day, just climbing and thinking.

Still, he wondered why so many fires were necessary against such a supposedly weak opponent. It was standard, of course, burning the homes and lands of the enemy, and whilst it may have been morally questionable, these were times of war. These things happened, and once the countries swore allegiance, the tribe helped them rebuild, protected them. It made sense, if you thought about it.

Adrastos slowly led back down on the stone, to stare back up at the night sky. Too much thinking on politics and not enough contemplation of the stars, he thought. Just as he felt himself start to drift away again he was dragged back to reality but a sound that curdled his blood.

At first he wasn't sure what it was that he had heard but seconds later he heard it again, a echoing roar that reverberated across the land as far as the eye could see. There was something about it that chilled him through to the bone, something inhuman, angered and yet also pain…

That's what scared Adrastos the most. Whatever leviathan was behind that sound it was filled with not just rage but a rage born of pain and anguish. He slowly stood, glancing in the direction of the shrine, suddenly worried about his brothers.

Without warning a bright light exploded up from over the hillside, blinding Adrastos and he staggered as at the same moment the entire world seemed to shake. He lost his footing and toppled backwards over the mountain edge. Refusing to let panic set in for even a moment, Adrastos swing his powerful right fist outward and was fortunate to strike the hard, granite cliff-face. Like the rest of his tribe, his fists sported two bone-like protuberances which sang into the otherwise solid rock with ease. It wasn't enough to stop the momentum but it gave him a split second to swing his legs inwards towards the mountain. His feet hit flat against the side and he bent his knees before, using all his strength, he pushed himself away, spreading his arms out as he did.

He twisted round in the air, spreading his arms out and letting the winds sweep around him. He closed in his eyes and trusted in his ancestors, in the land, in the currents and twists of the very air itself. He caught their currents and felt himself slow, riding the breath of history, the very same air that millennia of his tribes people had breathed. He slid through the air, turning himself on their currents, directing himself back towards the mountain.

Moments later he was fastened securely to the side of the cliff-face, his eyes fully recovering from the blinding flash. After several blinks he looked round, confused, unsure of what had just happened. His eyes widened as he his home beneath him, massive cracks running through several of the buildings. The people were out of their homes, running back and forth in a panic, torches burning to illuminate the night.

Then something else caught his gaze. Out of the corner of his eye something moved, something vast. His mouth widened in uncomprehending shock as he saw a vast wave of water block out the stars behind the southern mountains, tall enough to dwarf their peaks. The people had noticed too, women, children, the old and infirm, all looking up as the wave of water arched over the city, suspended above them.

Adrastos felt fear creep up his spine, a sickening knot twisting in his stomach and chest. He didn't know the what had happened, where this unnatural terror had come from, but he knew what was going to happen next, he knew and could do nothing about it. He watched as, as if in slow motion, the wave suddenly lost it's near-sublime stillness and began to fall towards the ground.

People screamed, the tribe panicked, but there was nothing to be done. Within seconds the entire city was lost beneath the water, buildings smashed to rubble, unrecognisable. And yet the water was not still, it moved, it thrashed with such violence that Adrastos could barely believe his eyes.

He began to climb. One fist after another, he scaled the mountain, seeking as high a ground as he could. It wouldn't help, of course, this thing, whose demonic roar he heard once again, was vast, endless, as deep and as deadly as the great oceans of the world. But he did not know what else to do, what else he could do, other than to flee. To try and survive, to find out what had happened, to find a way to stop it, to get revenge, to make things right.

He climbed, higher and higher, the adrenaline removing any pain he might have felt from his healing arm and the fear pushing him further on. He had no idea what he would do when he reached the top but it dawned on him that he would be able to see the lands and valleys beyond, the countries that had been invaded and brought under the protection of his tribe. Where many more of his people still lived.

He felt sick, he felt exhausted and by the time he reached the top he was unsure as to whether he wanted to look. Swallowing down his fear he stepped up on to the peak of the northern mountains and gazed out across the great Echidna Empire.

Deep down inside himself, Adrastos felt something whither and die and, as the tears refused to come, something malignant began to grow in its place, decaying his heart to dust and festering in his soul…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Life in the Fast Lane

Chapter One: _Life in the Fast Lane._

There could be no compromise, no negotiation, no second chances, it was a case of success or failure with no room for manoeuvre. The world seemed to slow, almost to a halt, as his foot struck the dirt, sending up clouds of dust behind him. His heart was racing a thousand beats a second, each one a crashing drum, the wind whistled past his ears, a howling tempest, the sun above, a burning inferno. His right foot raised back up from the ground and, for a fraction of a second, no part of his body touched the floor before his left foot crashed down ahead. He'd travelled over a metre in a single foot-fall but it was still not fast enough.

Sonic the Hedgehog stared out, down the stone hillside towards the stone outcrop that curled up at the end, a naturally occurring ramp that he was already running towards at an incredible pace. But beyond it was a vast canyon, at the bottom of which were jagged, razor sharp rocks ready to skewer anyone unfortunate enough to taste their cold wrath. In the distance, the other side, where the dusty desert ended and the lush green vegetation of the Azura Lakes began. He needed to go father.

Sonic leant forward, letting the air blast along his spines, making his body sleek, streamlined, able to move faster still. His feet slammed against the ground and left it again in a blur, invisible to the naked eye, and behind him he created a blizzard of sand and dust. But it wasn't fast enough. He wouldn't make it. He needed to be faster still.

Timing was everything. If he misjudged his next move, he'd end up falling head over heels and possibly even down into the deadly embrace of the rocks below. Sonic never misjudged. Timing his movements, he let both feet leave the ground at the same time, in the exact same moment he leant himself forward, as if going to somersault. Instead, he began to roll, forming a perfectly spherical ball, and, carried forward by the momentum he'd already built up, supported by gravity and unhindered by the smooth slope, he began to gain yet more speed.

Had anyone been watching all they would have witnessed next was a blue streak roll up the rocky outcrop before blasting up into the air, covering the distance of the canyon easily before flying down the other side like a shooting star.

Sonic unrolled himself as he struck the ground and stamped his right foot downwards, skidding a groove into the soil for a full ten metres before coming to a stand still. Using his hand to avoid the glare of the fun, he looked back at the massive space he'd leapt across in a single bound. He grinned, satisfied.

As he continued to watch he saw something appear from above the clouds, coming down towards him. A small, two-person biplane, the Tornado II, built and maintained by Sonics best friend Miles Prower, otherwise known as Tails. Sonic gave an exaggerated thumbs up to his friend, a grin plastered across his face. Tails had insisted that he might as well had flown them both across since he had the room, but Sonic had refused. Tails had probably known he would, Sonic was not one to miss out on a challenge, especially one where the stakes were high, but still the young fox had protested. As the plane came lower, Sonic shouted up to his friend.

"What took you so long, buddy?" Tails circled the plane lower and lower, positioning himself for suitable landing. As he got close enough he shouted down over the roar of the engine.

"You had me worried a moment there Sonic!" he yelled, "I thought you weren't going to get enough speed to make it!" Sonic laughed.

"You kidding Tails? That was childs-play for a super-sonic hedgehog like me." Sonic wasn't one to be modest and he had to admit, at least to himself, that the jump had been a challenge. But that was what life was all about, finding new challenges and new adventures, testing himself to the limits of his capabilities and always pushing to go further. He was Sonic the Hedgehog, after all, and he was the fastest thing alive.

When Tails had finally landed, he leapt down from the plane and approached Sonic, behind him two orange bushy tails sweeping back and forth. It was his additional appendage that gained him his nickname, otherwise he was an ordinary fox boy whose main claim to fame was his excellent mechanical skills that allowed him to build or repair practically anything. In his hand he held a paper map which he examined as he reached Sonic.

"It says the archaeological dig is less than a mile from here," he said in his young yet enthusiastic voice, "We should be able to see it."

The two of them turned and look out across the Azura Lakes. Stretching for miles were a maze of hillsides and vast bodies of water, intermingled with woodlands and all sorts of habitats occupied by endangered species. The Azura Lakes area was a conservation site, protected by the government although it had suffered some damage in a recent alien attack on the planet that they had both helped repel. It was still a beautiful site to behold and, as they looked out, Sonic and Tails noticed what looked like tents set into one of the hillsides, next to one of the larger lakes. Sonic turned to Tails.

"Looks like we found them," he said as a grin began to spread across his face, "Race you to the camp." He half expected the fox to protest or complain, as he usually did, knowing Sonic was faster. Sonic was prepared to goad his friend into competing and so was somewhat taken by surprise when Tails took off straight away.

"See you there Sonic!" the fox called back as he sped off, his two Tails whirling together like a fan and giving him addition speed. Sonic smiled in satisfaction and a little pride at his friend.

"Now that's more like it!" Sonic said as he cracked his knuckles and stretched both his legs before taking off after his friend. As the wind started to once again blow along his spines, Sonic felt that familiar rush of adrenaline come over him and the satisfaction, deep down, in knowing that he was doing what he was born to do.

* * *

Cassidy Yates looked down at her notes and sighed. None of the data was adding up, they'd taken several samples from all the artefacts they'd uncovered and, as far as she could tell, they were all from different periods and places with no unifying theme. It was a baffling mystery, but then Cassidy prided herself on being good at mysteries and she wasn't about to let this one get the better of her.

She turned from her make-shift desk, the fold-out wooden variety prone to collapse after a good sneeze, as she heard the doorway to her tent open. Jefferson was standing halfway through the entrance, his clear skin and fair hair covered in muck, but his ocean blue eyes shining brightly all the same.

"What is it Jefferson?" she asked, noting he was out of breath, having obviously run from the dig just moment before. He indicated over his shoulder.

"They're here!" he said before dashing out, leaving Cassidy alone. She allowed herself a small smile as she rose from her seat and straightened the collar on her shirt, slipping her denim jacket on as she headed out.

A light gust of wind blew strands of her long, brown hair across her face as they escaped from the band that tied the rest up in a ponytail. She swept them back and walked away from her tent, one of four set in a square, a large, currently unlit, fire in the centre of them. She stepped between tents and out of their camp to where several of her fellow archaeologists were stood round watching as a blue hedgehog and two-tailed fox strolled towards her. The fox smiled.

"You must be Doctor Yates," he said, holding out his hand. Cassidy took it, returning his warm smile.

"Please, call me Cassidy," shaking Sonics hand next, "You two need no introduction, of course. The world famous Sonic and Tails. It's a pleasure to meet you at last". She noticed Tails looked a bit red, almost nervous, as if wanting to say something.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" she coaxed. Tails shook his head.

"Oh no, it's just you seem awful young for a Doctor!" he said, grinning. Cassidy _was_ young, but very talented having finished her first PhD in her mid-twenties and was currently writing another. She had only just turned thirty and, unlike many other people, it didn't bother her in the slightest. Why should it, she was living the life she had always dreamt of.

"I am," she replied, "but then you seem young to have saved the world."

"That's mainly Sonic," Tails said modestly, "I just help if I can". Cassidy shook her head.

"Never sell yourself short, Tails. I was in Station Square when Doctor Eggman launched a missile at it, I owe you my life." Tails went even redder, looking down at his feet. She noticed Sonic glancing around at the dig.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked for you to come out here?" she asked. Sonic shrugged in response.

"I guess it crossed my mind, what are you doing here anyway?" Sonic seemed genuinely curious which only served to delight Cassidy even more. She had been worried he'd turn out to be always on the move, with no time for others or anything else. But even with his great speed and famous love of adventure, he still cared enough to stop and listen to others. She grinned.

"As you may be aware, this area suffered damage in the recent invasion by the Black Arms," she noticed Tails visibly shudder at the mention of the name, "and when a team came out to survey the damage they found the explosions had exposed what appeared to be a set of ruins as well as fragments of pottery."

"Nothing dangerous I hope," Sonic questioned, knowing too well that when things got dug up they tended to involve some sort of weapon or monster that his nemesis, Eggman, would want to get his grubby little hands on. Cassidy shook her head.

"No, but some very interesting items. If you'd like to follow me I'll show you," she gestured towards the tent closest to the hillside which was pitched at an angle so as to cover the start of the hills slope. The three of them headed towards it.

"So what sort of things have you found?" Tails asked, "and how does it involve us?"

"Well, I understand you've had first hand experience of the ancient echidna race." She held open the entrance to the tent for the pair and then followed them in. The far wall of the tent was missing, with the hillside taking its place. A large, deep hole had been cut away from it, several metres high and equally wide. Two archaeologists were busy digging away at the soil and, sat on a large table to one side, were the fruits of their labours.

Ranging from the tiniest fragments to entire statuettes, the table was covered in worn, and dirtied remains, dug up from the earth. Two notable themes ran across them, that of a twisting serpentine creature and the visage of the echidna race, including a small statue of what appeared to be an echidna clutching a large diamond in its hands. Sonic and Tails both recognised the designs and styles, although the ancients tribes had died long ago, during a recent adventure they had been shown visions of that lost world. Cassidy looked at the collection with pride.

"Judging by the looks on your faces, I'd say you recognise some of this," she said. Tails nodded in response as Sonic wandered over to the table and started looking over the artefacts, somewhat cautiously, she notes.

"We… errr… sort of went to their temple… in the past," Tails stuttered, seemingly confusing himself as he spoke, " only it wasn't really the past but a vision of the past but it was what the real past was like." He paused. "In the past," he finished, clearly losing track of what he'd been saying.

"I understand," she'd experienced a lot of strangeness these last few years, with the destruction of Station Square, alien invasions, not to mention her own research, "Well, I'm writing a thesis on the ancient echidna tribes and since you have the closest to first hand experience, I thought it might be a good idea to talk to the both of you personally."

Sonic was examining the echidna statue thoughtfully. He held it up to Tails and grinned.

"Doesn't it look a lot like Knuckles to you, Tails?" he winked, "only even less attractive, if such a thing is possible." He placed the statue back on the table and approached Cassidy, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his knuckles as he did so. "So, what did you need me for? Tails could probably tell you everything you wanted to know. You asked for the both of us."

"This might not be the only site with such relics and the Azura Lakes are massive. We need someone with a good eye, who knows what he's looking for and…"

"And able to go just about everywhere!" interrupted Sonic, "Well I'm your hedgehog. An Easter egg hunt sounds like fun." Cassidy saw the gleam in his eye, the eagerness, the anticipation of discovering new places, new challenges. It was the very same look she got in her archaeological work, for much the same reasons.

"Fantastic, you don't know how grateful we all are…"

Cassidy never got a chance to finish her sentence as a deafening roar erupted across the Lakes, and the whole ground seemed to shake, knocking her to the floor. Her knees scraped the dirt, leaving deep, red grazes and she was stunned for a second. As she glanced up she saw Tails also in the dirt and Sonic stood by the table, several extremely rare artefacts balanced in both hands and, inexplicably, on his foot. He smiled at her warmly.

"Could do with a hand here." Cassidy rushed over and took them, placing them delicately back on the table, looking at the blue hedgehog in gratitude.

"Thank you so much, they were priceless," she said, glancing at the tent entrance. Tails was already there, opening it up and looking outside.

"Sonic!" called the fox, his gaze not leaving whatever had caught it. Cassidy moved forward with Sonic and past Tails to stare out of the tent. Her mouth opened in a gasp as she looked into the distance where, rising up over a far hillside like a black mushroom, was a cloud of thick smog, red embers burning within at intermittent intervals.

Cassidy was about to say something when a sudden wind whipped her jacket up around her shoulders and, when it settled, the only sign of Sonic was an indent in the dirt leading off towards the explosion and Tails staring after it. He looked up at Cassidy, shrugged, and then, with a small smile, headed off after his friend. Cassidy watched them go and wished them the best of luck with whatever they would find waiting for them.

* * *

It didn't take Sonic long to reach the source of the explosion, the land had been fairly flat and, apart from skimming across the surface of a single lake, obstacle free. Tails had caught up with him by flying up to the peak of the hillside on which Sonic now stood, over-looking a massive black crater in the valley below. Surrounded by hills on all sides, it had been a fairly isolated location, full of vegetation and wildlife. Now hedges and trees burnt furiously and Sonic even noticed wild dear running from the crater at the centre of it all, from which the cloud emanated, filling the air with ash which swirled all around. As Sonic focused, he noticed something moving on the edge of the crater. It looked like a person.

"Tails, do you see…" Sonic started but Tails jumped in with a shocked cry.

"It's a young girl, Sonic!" he yelped, "She could be in trouble!"

"That's where we come in, buddy," Sonic said, grabbing his friends hand and taking off into the swirling ash and scorching hazy air, heading down the side of the hill towards the figure.

As he got closer he could see she was wearing an ash-stained white dress, actually a very expensive and elaborate looking one, he noticed. She couldn't be any older than eleven or twelve, although she already had waist-length, raven-black hair which was tied back into a pony-tail. She was coughing, dragging herself away from the crater and looked up as Sonic and Tails approached. Her gaze met Sonics and he saw a look of fear in her eyes, and a pleading, almost desperate hope that this might be help arriving.

Sonic skidded to a halt in front of the young girl as Tails began to swirl his tails around in a fan-like motion, blowing away as much of the thick smoke as possible. Sonic held out his hand to the girl and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help you," he said, sounding as confident as he could. This girl needed hope and he was going to give it to her. She looked nervous but gently reached up and took Sonics hand. He gripped her tightly and helped her up, before sweeping her into his arms.

"Now hod on tight, because this is where the fun really begins," he said as she draped her arms round his neck, clutching his spines, her head buried into his shoulder. With the mysterious girl secure, Sonic ran away from the crater, heading back to the dig, Tails at his side.

* * *

As they ran they failed to notice a figure standing on an opposite hillside, staring down at the spot they had just picked the young girl from. He clenched his fists angrily, frustrated that yet again she had slipped through his grasp. And not only had the bomb failed and she escaped, but now she would no doubt be protected, making his task all the more arduous.

Frustrated but as determined as ever, Adrastos began the trek in the director the blue hedgehog had taken her. This time he would make sure she would not escape and nothing nor nobody could stand in his way.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: _Destiny Calling._

Cassidy certainly hadn't known what to expect but Sonic and Tails returning with a young girl, of no older than twelve years of age, was pretty far down the list. She'd sent a small group out to the site where they'd found her, to look around, search for clues and see if anything could give them an idea as to what had happened out there. The girl herself hadn't been much help, she hadn't said a word since she'd arrived, possibly from shock.

She looked over to where the girl was sat on a stool, a large thick blanket wrapped round her to keep her warm. Jefferson had brought he a large mug of hot chocolate which was currently clasped between her hands as she sipped slowly from it. She seemed agitated, nervous even, and the slightest movement caused her to glance up in fear, like a deer in headlights. Cassidy glanced down at her own drink which sat on the bench alongside the artefacts, slowly going cold. A breeze whipped through the tent as Sonic and Tails entered, causing the young girl to once again glance up in fright. Cassidy saw Tails smile reassuringly at her as Sonic stretched his legs.

"Tails and I had a run round the whole area but there's no sign of anyone else," said Sonic, cracking his knuckles, "Poor girl seems really shaken up. Has she said anything yet?"

Cassidy shook her head in response. She picked up her drink and walked over to Sonic, crouching down besides him, whispering between them.

"She has no identification, nothing, and seems really scared, like she's expecting trouble." Sonic nodded his agreement, looking towards the girl. Cassidy followed his gaze to see where Tails was slowly approaching the girl who watched his every footfall.

"Hi there," Tails smiled, "I'm Miles, but my friends call me Tails. You can call me Tails if you like." Tails reached the stool by her and smiled, his two tails waving back and forth behind him. The girl watched him thoughtfully. Tails spoke again.

"It's alright you know," he said reassuringly, "You're safe here. Sonic and I can protect you. Sonic's the one who rescued you, you know. And that's Doctor Cassidy Yates, but I'm sure you can call her Cassidy. She's very friendly," Tails took a deep breath then slowly, but carefully place his hand on the girls arm, "What's your name?" She didn't flinch or move, just staring at him. Her face had been cleaned up though there were still signs of ash around the edges and her hair, though already very blast was flaked with dust. Slowly but surely her mouth began to move, almost silently muttering something back. Tails smiled.

"Did you say something? I didn't quite here, I'm afraid," he smiled again and the girl seemed to repeat her words, only this time louder.

"Maya," she whispered, "My name is Maya." Tails held out his hand in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you Maya," he said, grinning. Maya looked up at Cassidy then back at Tails and then his offered hand. She gently took it and shook. And slowly smiled.

* * *

It had only been quarter of an hour since Tails had managed to get Maya's name but already the young girl seemed to be getting better. She'd brushed a lot of the dirt out of hair and cleaned off her dress with some water and was now slowly exploring the tent, nervously glancing over the various artefacts. She hadn't said much more and Cassidy was keen to find out where she had come from but was cautious of pushing the poor girl too far. Maya had clearly been through a lot.

Sonic was sat on a stool in the corner of the tent, his feet propped up on another vacant stool, eyes closed and presumably resting. It was an odd sight, thought Cassidy. She'd never imagined him doing anything other than running but it made sense that even he would need some sleep now and then, his life was certainly an active one.

In the corner of her eye Cassidy saw movement and glanced back to Maya in time to see her picking up the echidna statue off of the side, and turning it over in her hands. It was a priceless artefact and, despite her better judgement, Cassidy's instincts jumped in and she called over.

"Please, be careful with…" her sudden words, though not spoken harshly, were enough to startle Maya who simultaneously glanced up and fumbled with the statue. Cassidy's heart skipped a beat as the statue began to fall towards the ground and she covered her eyes as if such an action would prevent the inevitable.

There was a gust of wind and Cassidy looked back to see Sonic led in the dirt, the statue in his outstretched hand. He looked at her and winked.

"This is getting to be quite a habit Doctor!" Sonic said, picking himself up. Maya looked down, presumably embarrassed about her accident. Cassidy took the relic carefully from him.

"I think, perhaps, we should get these locked away," she said before turning and shouting for Jefferson. Sonic put a comforting hand on Maya's shoulder.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," he smiled, "It could happen to anyone."

After handing the statue to Jefferson, and instructing him to have it and all the rest locked in the safe, Cassidy directed her attention back to Sonic and Maya. Maya was still looking down, and Cassidy felt a pang of guilt. She went over and crouched down to the girls level.

"I'm sorry Maya," Cassidy said softly, "It was my fault, I startled you." The girl shook her head gently and as she raised her head Cassidy noticed tears in her eyes. And fear, there was fear on her face. Sonic noticed it too.

"Hey, what is it Maya?"

"I… I have to go," she stuttered, "I have to leave here." Her voice was broken, scared and Cassidy felt a fear begin to edge its way up her spine. Something had attacked this child, perhaps even tried to kill her, and what was to say it wouldn't happen again?

"You're safe here," Sonic said reassuringly but Maya shook her head violently.

"I'm not," she said, more confident in what she was saying, "He'll find me. And hurt all of you. All your work. And it'll be because of me. I have to go."

Cassidy looked to Sonic, unsure what to say or do. If Maya was in danger it was their duty to protect her but they didn't have the resources here. And the site and all their research could be badly damaged…

"Alright then," said Sonic as if reading her mind, "Tails and I can take you back to the city. The Tornado isn't far from here. What do you say?" Sonic grinned, "We'll be your bodyguards!"

Maya managed a small smile and then nodded, the talk clearly gone out of her now. Sonic gave a short nod, the plan decided.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Cassidy asked, unable to contain her concern for both the child and everyone's safety.

"Of course, and it'll keep you and your team out of danger," he replied, "But we should leave straight away. Before it gets dark!"

"Alright then," Cassidy agreed, standing. She took Maya's hand and led the girl out of the tent, and noticed her taking a last look back at where Jefferson was packing away the artefacts. She longed to ask her who she was afraid of but she sensed Maya had said as much as she could at this point. All that mattered at the moment was getting her as far from this area as possible.

* * *

The Tornado II was sat at the bottom of a hill, positioned to face a long stretch of relatively firm ground that would do for a makeshift runway. Ahead of them was the vast chasm that Sonic had earlier leapt across and, beyond that, a vast desert plain interspersed with mountainous peaks and mile-long cracks in the ground. It was a hazardous place to cross though the Tornado II's only concern would be avoiding the tallest peaks of some of the mountains, otherwise an hour was all it would take to cross the expanse and return to civilisation.

Tails buckled Maya into her seat and the girl, seemingly exhausted, leant her head back on a cushion that he had provided, letting her eyelids fall shut. It was a little cramped but she managed to fit with a bit of manoeuvring and she was light enough that the Tornado II would have little problem carrying her, though perhaps would be a little slower in its reflexes. Still, Tails was confident he could pilot it well enough and, with Sonic stood on top the wings, he'd have plenty of warning about any approaching obstacles.

"Ready to go, Tails?" asked Sonic who was already stood on the upper wing of the plane, limbering up and clearly keen to get on. That was Sonic though, always on the move. He did stop, Tails was fully aware of this, Sonic liked nothing more than to treat himself to the occasional rest or holiday but only so he could fully appreciate the start of a new adventure. Tails smiled to himself. Life was certainly never dull around Sonic.

"We're all set Sonic!" he called up as he went and clambered into his pilots seat. He started the engine and, as he let hit begin to warm up, he looked back at Maya and felt a pang of sadness fill his chest. How could anyone be trying to harm such a young girl, it was unfair that she had to suffer as she was. Tails felt determined that he would do everything he could to protect her.

"Alright, let's get going!" Sonic shouted, a grin on his face. Tails knew, as much as he loved running, he also appreciated the feeling of the wind rushing through his entire body as he balanced himself on the top of the plane, soaring through the clouds. Tails slipped on a pair of goggles, always useful for avoiding any dust from the desert below, and the slowly the Tornado II began to move forward.

In moments they were soaring up over the chasm, the wind whipping around them. Tails felt it flow through his fur, cool against his skin. Above him, Sonic stood firm, his feet gripped to the wing, his spines blowing backwards, his whole body bathed in the air. Tails loved the air, the freedom of flying, the ability to take off and be unrestricted by gravity. He'd been blessed with his twin tails that allowed him to, for a limited distance, fly unaided by twirling them like a helicopters rotors and it was an ability he was immensely proud of.

Tails saw Sonic turn and look down at Maya, presumably checking that she was alright with the experience. However, Tails noticed his gaze wander and then his forehead crease into a frown. Checking to make sure their were no obstacles ahead, Tails allowed himself a glance back in the same direction as Sonic.

In the distance, stood atop the closest hill of the Azura Lakes, was a barely discernible figure. He looked no bigger than he or Sonic but he was holding something large on his shoulder though Tails could make out no more details.

"Sonic…" Tails started to question when he noticed a blast of smoke from the object held by the figure.

"Looks like here comes trouble, Tails," Sonic muttered as they both watched a long, sleek missile winding its way up from the figures rocket launcher and progressively towards them. Tails took a second t react, the shock of coming under such a sudden attack momentarily throwing him off. Quickly gathering himself together, he put the plane into a dive towards the mountains, hoping to dodge the attack.

"It's no good," Sonic called from above, "It's got some sort of homing device! Take us up, give me some height!" Sonic turned round, facing the back of the plane, and crouched down. Tails took the plane higher, fully aware of what Sonic intended to do. He thought about warning his friend that it was too dangerous but, if anything, that would only further encourage him. As they reached a height above the now all-too-close missile Sonic sprang forward, launching himself off the Tornado II and down towards the deadly explosive.

* * *

Sonic really hoped he'd judged his distance right because if he hadn't once again he risked falling down to the deadly rocks below. He soared through the air, the wind blasting his spines back, the plane above and behind him, the missle in front and below him. As he fell he was aware of a second missile being fired off by the distant figure but he put that out of his mind for the moment, best to focus on the immediate problem.

"Alright, this is it!" Sonic yelled out cheekily, if only for his own benefit. The missile was almost directly below him as he kicked his feet out ahead of him. They struck the missile and his hands quickly reached down to clasp the edges of it. It wasn't huge but it had enough power to support him, although the additional weight was causing it to lose ground on the Tornado II, as he'd planned.

Sonic looked to Tails and glanced round to see the other missile was fast approaching, it had already gained a greater height than he was at and it'd over take him in moments before smashing into the Tornado II. A challenge. Sonic grinned, not because he failed to appreciate the severity of the situation but because, deep down, he knew he wasn't going to let anyone come to harm. He protected people, battled evil and made sure no one ever got hurt.

Sonic gripped the front of his missile and pulled back, shifting his weight to pull it onto a more vertical path. Glancing up at the other missile he angled himself to put the two deadly weapons on an inevitable collision course with each other. He knew it'd be close, they'd only strike each other mere metres from hitting the Tornado II but this was also to his advantage.

"Here we go!" he cried as the missiles were seconds from colliding. He planted his feet on the edge of the missile, bent his knees and judged the distance to where Tails was flying. He saw his friend look down, open mouthed in terror. With all his strength, Sonic pushed off of the missile and launched himself into the air towards the Tornado II, rolling into a ball as he did, hurtling through the air. Behind him the missiles collided in a massive explosion that sent debris and fire hurtling around him.

Sonic uncurled himself and reached out, grabbing the bottom right wing of the plane with the tops of his fingers. He locked his grip, swinging his other arm forward to hold on and pulled himself half on to the wing. He was about to give Tails a thumbs up when he heard a loud crash. He glanced back to see a flaming chunk of debris imbedded in the side of the plane.

"Uh oh, that can't be good," he said glancing to Tails. His friend shook his head.

"It's right near the fuel tank Sonic, it could explode at any time!" he said, panicking, "We have to land now!" Even as he spoke another piece of debris struck the wing, smashing a hole into it. Tails turned to his controls, a look of determination on his face.

"Hold on tight Sonic, this is going to a bumpy landing!" Sonic held on tight, gritted his teeth and watched as the ground rushed up towards them.

* * *

The vast chamber was almost entirely metallic, from the walls, the ceiling and the floor, and it was devoid of any decorations beyond banks of computer terminals along every wall, a vast monitor screen at one end of the room and, oddly, a red rug roughly laid out in front of it. The room was filled with a hum of power with lights of every colour danced across the different control panels as bulbs came on and off to mark whatever equipment they were intended to measure. On the control panel beneath the monitor a large red light was flashing on and off repeatedly, with a loud alarm echoing the pattern with silence then sound.

Doctor Eggman entered Egg Control through a far door and made his way towards the flashing light, flanked either side by two small, rounded robots with stumpy arms and legs. Dubbed his Egg Pawns, they formed the bulk of his forces and passed for pretty much the only company he would keep. Dressed in his usual black trousers and red coat with gold buckles, Eggman was combing his large ginger moustache as he approached the console.

"Now, let's see what all the noise is about, shall we?" Eggman said to himself. Though he would never admit it, he found himself often talking to himself with the lack of anyone else to interact with. But then he didn't particularly care for company, unless they admitted to his superiority and offered themselves up as a loyal subject of the Eggman Empire he had no need for anyone.

Eggman hit a thick blue button that silenced the alarm and caused the red light to desist its flashing. A couple of weeks previously he had managed to hack into a government network and set the alarm to sound if any key words had come up and it had gone off as he was in the middle of grooming himself, much to his frustration. The future ruler of the planet Earth had to look his best at all times.

The monitor flickered into life and files lifted directly from the government database flashes across the screen. Eggman read over them rapidly, no problem for someone of his immense intellect.

"Fascinating," he muttered to himself. It seemed the government had detected a powerful source of energy, something almost equal to that of the Chaos Emeralds themselves and, according to their initial reports, the source of the energy was little more than a child. Eggman continued to read when he reached an image that cause him to stop and smile. It was of a hedgehog, arms crossed and a determined expression on his face, the black fur with red streaks identified this as Shadow.

"So, the government have enlisted Shadow to track down this girl," Eggman mused. The Chaos Emeralds had always been a source of trouble, they were greatly unstable and prone to scatter across the planet once their power was utilised. If this girl could offer an alternative energy source she could be very useful in his schemes to create the Eggman Empire. He turned to his Egg Pawns.

"Prepare the Egg Fleet!" he instructed them. As they rushed off he made a mental note of the energy readings that the government had picked up. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to trace them and once he had this strange girl he would take great delight in discovering the secrets of this power. He couldn't help it, the delight of a scheme beginning to form in his mind filled him with a joy and he began to laugh, relishing the start of his latest plan for world domination. He continued to laugh as he walked from the room and towards his destiny.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: _Fear of the Dark._

The vibrant sun felt warm against her skin, and the cool breeze prevented the heat becoming overbearing. She led back in the long, light grass of the hillside looking at the clouds through the sky above her. It was a vast, vivid blue across which the white and wispy clouds painted all manner of images which she had spent much of the afternoon picking out. All around her the countryside sprawled out in every direction, with little sign of civilisation in sight which was just the way she liked it. This place was very dear to her, it was special, secure, safe.

She closed her eyes, feeling the soft earth beneath her and allowing the cool air to wrap itself around her. She thought of everything that had happened, and how it had eventually all worked out for the best. It was funny how, when things seemed at their lowest and that nothing would ever be the same again, that something so amazing could occur. She let her thoughts wander, let her mind drift off as she basked in the beauty of her surroundings.

The Black Wood Forest had once stretched for miles, rising and falling with the terrain, and giving shelter to all manner of creatures, great and small. Consisting of massive trees that stretched far up into the sky like natural skyscrapers, it gave the appearance of being a natural city with thick vine growths, fallen logs and jagged, sturdy branches as its roadways. The Black Wood Forest still existed, it was difficult for something that had been that vast to simply vanish, but it was almost half the size it had once been. Where the northern-most areas of the forest had once stood, the trees had been destroyed, ground up and used to fuel the furnaces of Doctor Eggman's robot factory that was now situated there. Many animals had lost their homes, their habitat having had insurmountable damage inflicted upon it, not just by the destruction of the woods but by the oil and fumes spewing forth from the factory. Almost a small city in itself, the factory sat on the landscape like a theme park from hell, of spiralling metal platforms, buildings and funnels, weapons platforms and rocket silos.

That had been some time ago, however, and now the factory was long since abandoned and the forest was at last getting its revenge. The interference of Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside pressure from the military organisation known as GUN, had led to Eggman abandoning the factory which the forest was already reclaiming. Concrete and cement crumbled away as vines twisted in and out of buildings, machinery and the rusted remains of destroyed robots. Two vast stone chimneys that had once spewed toxic fog into the air had now collapsed, one falling to the ground, crushing buildings and forest whilst the other was imbedded in one of the larger factories, leaning at a diagonal angle, permanently threatening to finally topple and join its twin. Almost every glass window as shattered and ivy climbed up and into the buildings, creating the illusion of vast, green waterfalls, frozen in motion, aside from the occasional gust of wind.

There was no way the factory wouldn't be a death trap but that didn't bother him, he was more concerned with the time frame he had. He could continue tracking that mysterious energy source using GUN's admittedly advanced system and get on with his mission but he also knew Doctor Eggman had far more impressive equipment simply discarded in the factory. However, the potential dangers of the ruined factory, whilst clearly no immediate danger to him, could slow him down and thus risk the energy source falling into the wrong hands before he could locate it.

"The solutions simple then," he mused to himself, "If that happens I simply take the energy source from them". After all, he was the Ultimate Life-form, there were few who could challenge him and fewer still who he would even begin to consider a potential threat. Not that he would ever admit that to them, of course.

From his vantage point in the top branches of a towering tree Shadow the Hedgehog looked down at the factory and let his eyes dart across the landscape, taking in every details, planning his route to perfection. He knew that at the control centre of the base would be some of the finest tracking equipment built by human hands and he had no doubt he could get it working and then it would be no trouble in pinpointing an exact location of the energy source. He just needed to calculate the quickest and easiest route and then...

"Time to play," Shadow muttered to himself, mentally psyching himself up, stretching out his sleek arms and interlocking his white-gloved hands as he does so. Taking one last look he stepped off the high branch and began to plummet down towards the ground. From a distance he would no doubt resemble a blur of black and red. Shadow never shut his eyes but kept staring, watching the ground rapidly approaching, the wind force blasting against his face. His face dead set with concentration he shifted his weight, leaning forward, the rush of air whipping through his jet black fur as he did so. With his feet now stretched out behind him, towards the trunk of the tree, he activated the boosters in his boots, tiny blasts of energy emerging from the bottom, giving him extra speed. And suddenly he was no longer falling but skating vertically down the tree, a combination on his natural skills and power and jet-skate enhanced speed and balance, Shadow felt the exhilaration build inside of him. A manoeuvre executed perfectly, a flawless exhibition that deserved a flawless finale. As the woodland floor was almost upon him, Shadow didn't need confidence, he didn't need bravery, he knew that he could not fail, could not conceive of being anything less than perfect. He leant backwards, seconds before hitting the ground, letting the jet-skates propel him round in an almost ninety-degree change of direction without even slowing. Instead, Shadow surged forward, now running along the woodland floor, picking up speed as he approached the very edge of the factory complex. Leaping over fallen wood, damaged barb wire fences and shattered remains of robots, he timed his every move to perfection. Ahead of him was a fallen tree that was held at a diagonal angle by a large wire fence. He leapt up, curling himself into a ball and, with a burst of energy, propelled himself through the air, unfurling to land on the fallen tree and continue running up its length. As he reached the end he made one last leap and somersaulted through the air to eventually land with a perfect finish in front of the entrance to one of the main factory buildings. He folded his arms in satisfaction.

"Perfect, as always," he noted to himself. In a world filled with flaws and corruption, it was satisfying to know that he alone stood above it all, pure and unblemished. He moved towards the doors, metal and rusted, falling from the hinges, and he pushed his way inside. It wouldn't take him long to find his way through, it was constructed in one of the Doctor's standard design layouts. In fact, until recently, his earliest memory was of waking up in a similar abandoned base, frozen in stasis by the Doctor and discarded, intended to never be found. Not that Shadow bore any grudge or desire for revenge, he'd put such petty notions behind him, and besides, though it had been for his own selfish reasons, it had still been the Doctor who had saved his life in the first place.

Shadow brushed the thoughts from his mind as he took off running into the base, he wasn't here to dwell on the past. He had a mission to perform and he would execute with skill, precision and professionalism. He kept his mind focused as he worked through the maze of plant and machine, running up fallen girders, leaping from steel gantries and swinging across chasms supported only by green vines hanging down from the darkness above. No obstacle was too much, no risk, too great, there was nothing he could not achieve, this was why he was created, this was who he was.

Energy levels were nearing their peak and system maintenance checks had been completed. A flood of data rushed through its circuits, sparking the positronic mind into life and the visual systems were in the process of activating. It tried moving one of its vast, metal arms but found them unresponsive. A high pitched ring echoed through its audio circuits, signalling that optimum energy levels had been achieved and it attempted to move again. With the creek of metal, the arm began to move. It activated its heating systems, warming the cold metal, sending the hydraulic fluid flowing and brining all its functions online. Visual systems established.

Darkness. Activating night vision, it took in its surroundings. The main laboratory, dark and abandoned. A computer system in the far wall, deactivated but functional, stacked crates lining the walls and piled in the rooms centre. It stepped forward, the clanging of its feet on the metal floor echoing around. A diagnostics report entered its vision, confirming full activation had been achieved. The primary protocol was to access data files and link up with the remaining security systems and establish the reason that it had been activated. Satisfied that all its armaments were in working order and ammunition was in full supply, it engaged protocol one.

Shadow stood at the edge of a vast precipice, descending down into darkness with no bottom in site. Ahead of him was a long corridor, the door to the control room at the far end, but the floor had simply appeared to have dropped away to nothing. One of the Doctor's many security systems, no doubt. It wasn't going to be a problem.

Shadow stepped back a few paces and then ran forward, launching himself as his feet hit the very edge of the drop. Moving at an angle he hit the right hand wall and, without stopping, launched himself off it at another angle, towards the opposite wall. He repeated the manoeuvre, zigzagging across the walls until he landed on a narrow ledge on the other side, the door to the control room before him. By the side of the door was a nine digit control panel, awaiting the entry code that would give access to the room. Shadow smirked, the Doctor may have been a genius but he wasn't imaginative when it came to door entrance codes, if they weren't his own name they were usually related. He tried tapping in 'Eggman' only to get a negative response. The second choice was a name more personal to Shadow, that of his creator and Doctor Eggman's Grandfather, a genius who set out to change the world, to cure diseases and protect the Earth. He had created the Ultimate Life-form only to betrayed by the government, by men scared of the intellect he wielded, afraid of the very weapons they had commissioned him to build. The research space colony 'The Ark' was shut down, his work and sanity destroyed in the process. Shadow stood alone as a testament of that man's genius. The door slid open as he typed in 'Gerald' and Shadow stepped through.

The main control room, which doubled for a laboratory, was dimly lit, his opening the door had set off the back-up lighting, green lamps imbedded in the walls. It gave the room a decayed, septic look and cast strange shadows around the chamber. The far wall was a large monitor screen with a control panel beneath it and the room was filled with large crates, possibly full of abandoned equipment. As Shadow stepped forward he noticed something else stood in the corner, a red almost egg-shaped shaped pod, free standing with a glass dome as its lid.

Darkness. A cold, empty nothing that seemed to stretch both back and forward into eternity. He had awareness of nothing but the solitary moment, a footnote in passing time, with no knowledge of past or future, of one second after or previous. There was no sound, no smell, no sight, not no touch or taste, it was an existence without existing but it was all he had. That and a constant fear, a fear born from a perpetual feeling of total loss, of being devoid of any form of reality, merely existing within the eternal darkness that was his world.

He froze, staring at the stasis pod, remembering the moment he had first awoken inside a similar device, stepping from the dark, his memory of his past erased, no idea of who or where he was. He had felt so much confusion, so much pain, he had felt the power within him but had no idea of where it had come from, of what his purpose was. He had been born into a dance of fire, missiles and bullets raining down on him, forcing him into a ballet of destruction by one of Eggman's robots that had been sealed up in the base and left to guard…

Shadow leapt up, somersaulting through the air, barely avoiding the missile that exploded against the wall behind him. He ran forward and darted behind a crate as bullets impacted the space he had occupied a moment ago. He should have realised, Eggman was bound to have left some sort of guard in the main control room and he was a fool not to have anticipated this.

"Must terminate all intruders", a grinding mechanical voice cried out from somewhere within the room. Shadow heard a mechanical grinding and then the thrust of a rocket, barely having time to leap from the shelter of the crate as it exploded into pieces. He skidded along the floor and rolled behind another, grabbing a look at his attacker as he went. Another of the E-Series of robots constructed by the Doctor, it was almost identical to E-123 Omega, the robot that had attacked and then befriended him after his awakening. It had a massive, rotating central body with large, bulky arms with built in armaments, supported by relatively small legs. Though he couldn't make out the model number, he had noticed this one was a deep purple in colour, rather than the red of Omega. And unlike Omega, this one had not broken its programming and, instead, was determined to fulfil its function and kill any intruders, which at this moment consisted of Shadow.

"Shouldn't be too difficult," Shadow whispered to himself, already taking in his surroundings, looking for possible points of attack and areas of cover. He heard the heavy sound of metal on metal approaching as the E-Series robot headed towards him. It's mechanical voice echoed out again.

"Surrender now and your destruction will be quick," it stated, the voice now very close. Shadow looked up above him and noticed a couple of metal rails along the ceiling, used for hanging equipment of some sort, no doubt. As he considered his options suddenly more bullets shot above his head and a second later the crate he had been behind exploded in a shower of flame. Shadow leapt back, cursing himself for being distracted, the flames singing his fur as he dived aside. The robot had been practically the other side of the crate and already it was training its weaponry on him. Any second a hail of machine gun fire would be blasting towards him. Using all his strength, Shadow leapt up as the area behind him was riddled with holes, smoke filling the air, obscuring all vision.

As the smoke cleared the target was no longer visible. There appeared to be no visible remains, something its databanks insisted was an unlikely scenario. It stepped forward and surveyed the immediate area, spinning round in order to locate the intruder. Its infrared scanners appeared to detect no life-form hidden behind any of the obstructions in the room. It accessed the situation, taking the opportunity to reload all weapon systems and pump coolant through the rocket launcher to avoid over-heating. Logically the target was still in the room but no longer on this same axis. It turned its scanner upwards, looking to the ceiling. The target dropped towards it, striking it's metallic head and bouncing off behind it. Turning, it saw the target land amongst its armoury of additional ammunition and weaponry.

Shadow reached out and grabbed hold of one of three Uzi's amongst the weaponry hidden between two of the larger crates, then leaping away before the robot was able to lock onto him. He gripped the weapon tight in his hands as he ran in and out of the crates, machine gun fire following close behind him as he weaved in and out and over the crates. He heard a click from the robot, it's ammo exhausted and took his chance, jumping back in the direction of his enemy. He saw it launch two missiles towards him which he blew out of the air with two quick bursts from the Uzi, giving him time to land on top of a stack of two crates, looking down at the robot. He aimed the Uzi, not at his enemy, but at the stockpile of missiles amongst the arsenal behind it. A few blasts was enough to detonate the stationary missiles, exploding in a fiery inferno that blasted the robot across the room and destroyed its entire supply of addition ammo and armaments.

Shadow tossed the gun away. Human weapons were so crude and yet they put so much importance in them, they thought guns made them powerful but that was far from the truth. Weapons were just tools and were only as good as those who wielded them, in his hands such tools had their uses, were effective and deadly, in the hands of a mere human they were an annoyance at best.

He jumped down to the ground and faced the robot as it picked itself up, staggering slightly, small fired burning in its joints, its paint work scratched and tarnished. It was clearly struggling, probably suffering immense internal damage. It lifted an arm, trying to aim its built in machine guns at Shadow. It was time to put it out of its misery.

Moments later Shadow was walking away from the mangled remains of the E-Series robot and heading over to the computer terminal at the back of the room. He hit the activation switch and watched as the last vestiges of power brought the system online. He'd wasted enough time here, it was time to deal with the real issue at hand, tracking down the power source. He allowed himself a satisfied smile as he programmed the relevant data into the system and watched the results come up in seconds, it had been worth his time and effort. He had perfect readings, pinpoint accuracy that would lead him directly to his target. It would take a few moments to download the information into a portable form and then he would head towards the desert wastelands close to the Azura Lakes region. He would not allow anything to get between him and his objective.


End file.
